White Worm!?

[Goosedub]

I think I want to get a culture of these started. Does anyone have these? And would you be willing to share?

 

 

[Fish Folk]

On 11/8/2021 at 4:51 PM, Goosedub said:

I think I want to get a culture of these started. Does anyone have these? And would you be willing to share?

 

 

Reach out to Brianne's Fish Fam. They're into lots of live foods, including White Worms.

 

[Odd Duck]

My fish LOVE whiteworms!  Look for a warm temp acclimated culture or you’ll need to keep the culture very cool (below 65’F).  I keep mine on the lowest shelf on my rack.  I am currently fighting fruit flies in my cultures, but I’m working on a plan to better seal the edges of the container, adding a fabric sealed vent, and using sticky fly traps inside the culture until all are gone.

I will probably never get fruit fly cultures again. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ They were NOT as wingless as advertised.

One of the tricks is developing a harvesting system and WAITING until the culture is built up enough to harvest without slowing development of the culture.

If I was starting over, I would get slightly taller boxes (at least 6” deep), MUCH better sealed boxes (like with rubber gaskets and the flaps that click), and add the fabric covered deli cup lids (I got mine from the fruit fly vendor, but you have to open the cup to harvest the flies and they escape) as vents right from the beginning (may still do the different boxes).  Just say no to fruit flies!

I still like the craft mesh pieces as feeding stations but can’t currently use them due to the stupid fruit flies.  When I can use them again, I only need to pluck worms off the surface of the mesh.  Currently I’m feeding subsurface so I have to dig around for the worms, then pluck substrate back out of the worms.  🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️  Do as I say, not as I did!  😝 

If anyone’s interested I can do a posting with pics.

[Goosedub]

On 11/9/2021 at 11:09 AM, Odd Duck said:

 

If anyone’s interested I can do a posting with pics.

I would love to see that

[Struggle]

On 11/9/2021 at 11:09 AM, Odd Duck said:

My fish LOVE whiteworms!  Look for a warm temp acclimated culture or you’ll need to keep the culture very cool (below 65’F).  I keep mine on the lowest shelf on my rack.  I am currently fighting fruit flies in my cultures, but I’m working on a plan to better seal the edges of the container, adding a fabric sealed vent, and using sticky fly traps inside the culture until all are gone.

I will probably never get fruit fly cultures again. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ They were NOT as wingless as advertised.

One of the tricks is developing a harvesting system and WAITING until the culture is built up enough to harvest without slowing development of the culture.

If I was starting over, I would get slightly taller boxes (at least 6” deep), MUCH better sealed boxes (like with rubber gaskets and the flaps that click), and add the fabric covered deli cup lids (I got mine from the fruit fly vendor, but you have to open the cup to harvest the flies and they escape) as vents right from the beginning (may still do the different boxes).  Just say no to fruit flies!

I still like the craft mesh pieces as feeding stations but can’t currently use them due to the stupid fruit flies.  When I can use them again, I only need to pluck worms off the surface of the mesh.  Currently I’m feeding subsurface so I have to dig around for the worms, then pluck substrate back out of the worms.  🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️  Do as I say, not as I did!  😝 

If anyone’s interested I can do a posting with pics.

I would like to see your setup as well.

[Hobbes]

I keep several cultures in my wine fridge. I prefer the cold cultures and the food doesn't go bad as fast. Fish go nuts for them, especially tetras. My emperor tetras specifically are turning into little piranhas (same family so not unsurprising) whenever I feed with worms.

 

Anyways, culture is pretty straight forward. I use take out containers, and poked some holes in the lids. The substrate is coco fiber (those dehydrated bricks for terrariums that you have to rehydrate). I don't like using topsoil as you introduce other things that might outcompete your worms. Onto the fiber, I place my starter culture, and then I put a flat top cover onto the soil. I found, those water filled freezer packs that you use in coolers, to be excellent tops as they help keep the temperature stable. Under the flat cover, I put the food (rehydrated cat food kibbles) and then close the culture and put it in the fridge. I prefer to feed only what the worms will finish in a couple of days. I've had some cat food go bad as the worms didn't finish it off fast enough. I harvest daily, and I would strongly suggest you keep at least 2 cultures. I had one crash on me for no reason that I could discern, so be aware. 

 

Dave Ramsey has a good method, just the bread I find overkill as cat food works great. Plus, my opinion is that if the food is good enough for our cats, it's also good enough for the worms/fish.

 

Edited November 12, 2021 by Hobbes
added info

[Odd Duck]

Finally getting my whiteworm culture bins posted.  I use the same bins for Grindal worms.  I cut holes the other day using a 3” hole saw (largest we had) and I glued fabric covered, vented deli cup lids in place.  I was planning to place weather stripping around the perimeter of the lids to seal all gaps but the stuff I bought was a bit too thick.  I’ll have to try again on the weather stripping.  I want the boxes edges sealed since I’ve been having the issues with the fruit flies getting into my cultures.  I got some fly strips that are made to apply to windows and stuck them to,the inside of the lids, but these aren’t nearly sticky enough.  It’s been 2 days and they’ve barely caught any flies.  I’ll be ordering different ones.
 

I only took a few pictures, they’re just plastic boxes and not really that exciting.  My cultures are warm tolerant and do fine at room temp.  The whiteworm boxes live on my skinny bottom shelf of my rack and the Grindal worms between my 5 G snail and scud culture tanks.  My microworms are on top of the Grindal worm box and vinegar eels behind the Grindal worms (although you can’t see those from this angle).

First pic inside the lid, second pic top side, third pic is the plastic pieces I use to collect the Grindals.

[Torrey]

On 11/12/2021 at 8:30 PM, Odd Duck said:

Finally getting my whiteworm culture bins posted.  I use the same bins for Grindal worms.  I cut holes the other day using a 3” hole saw (largest we had) and I glued fabric covered, vented deli cup lids in place.  I was planning to place weather stripping around the perimeter of the lids to seal all gaps but the stuff I bought was a bit too thick.  I’ll have to try again on the weather stripping.  I want the boxes edges sealed since I’ve been having the issues with the fruit flies getting into my cultures.  I got some fly strips that are made to apply to windows and stuck them to,the inside of the lids, but these aren’t nearly sticky enough.  It’s been 2 days and they’ve barely caught any flies.  I’ll be ordering different ones.
 

I only took a few pictures, they’re just plastic boxes and not really that exciting.  My cultures are warm tolerant and do fine at room temp.  The whiteworm boxes live on my skinny bottom shelf of my rack and the Grindal worms between my 5 G snail and scud culture tanks.  My microworms are on top of the Grindal worm box and vinegar eels behind the Grindal worms (although you can’t see those from this angle).

First pic inside the lid, second pic top side, third pic is the plastic pieces I use to collect the Grindals.

There's another alternative to the weather stripping, which will also keep the bugs out (even gnats, whiteflies and fruitflies):

 

Get the silicone intended for sealing *plastics* (not the silicone I for glass).

Clean the plastic crate base with alcohol, apply the silicone. Gently lay saran wrap over wet silicone, and close the lid.

Trim excess saran wrap and silicone that splooges out the sides.

Allow to thoroughly dry for at least 48 hours.

If you are concerned about accidentally sealing the lid to the base (oops😅) you can apply a thin layer of petroleum (vaseline) or KY to the lid where it might come in contact. 

 

When you are done, you have a made to form seal.

[Odd Duck]

On 11/13/2021 at 5:47 PM, Torrey said:

There's another alternative to the weather stripping, which will also keep the bugs out (even gnats, whiteflies and fruitflies):

 

Get the silicone intended for sealing *plastics* (not the silicone I for glass).

Clean the plastic crate base with alcohol, apply the silicone. Gently lay saran wrap over wet silicone, and close the lid.

Trim excess saran wrap and silicone that splooges out the sides.

Allow to thoroughly dry for at least 48 hours.

If you are concerned about accidentally sealing the lid to the base (oops😅) you can apply a thin layer of petroleum (vaseline) or KY to the lid where it might come in contact. 

 

When you are done, you have a made to form seal.

Interesting.  Have never tried that.  I’m going to surf Amazon for thinner weatherstripping to see what can find.  If I can’t find something thinner, I may go for this technique.

Thanks for the info!